JERUSALEM (Ma'an) -- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited the Bethlehem-area settlement of Efrat on Monday, and insisted it and a nearby bloc of other settlements would forever remain part of the Israeli state, according to media reports.

"They are the southern gates of Jerusalem and will always be part of the State of Israel. We are building Efrat and Gush Etzion with enthusiasm, faith and responsibility."

The Palestinian villages surrounding Efrat and Gush Etzion fear plans to renew construction of Israel's separation wall around the settlements will result in their displacement, or encirclement by the barrier.

Palestinian leaders insist that Israel must halt all settlement expansion before they can return to peace talks. Negotiations have stalled since September 2010 when Israel refused to renew a partial freeze on Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank.

The international community has repeatedly stated that Israeli settlements threaten a two state solution with the Palestinians.

1 ) Hussam / Palestine

27/08/2012 16:15

Ahhh the words of a professional thief and fraudster, coming out of Mr. Milikovski. Israel itself was based on a grand scheme of theft, lies and manipulation. One day we shall return

2 ) Jonno / France

27/08/2012 16:52

#1 "Efrat and Gush Etzion are integral parts of greater Jerusalem,"
Those are not lies from Mr. Milikovski they are facts on the ground.

3 ) Nour / 1-STATE

27/08/2012 17:56

Oh the integral baloney. I recall back in 1997 to my horror the bulldozers were busying carving the beautiful hill of Jabal Abu Ghneim, becoming the illegal monstrosity known as Gilo. Today it has become "integral" according to Millikowsky and the rest of his Zionist hoodlums.

4 ) deb / uk

27/08/2012 18:50

The man carrying a gun whilst walking with his daughters says it all, those little girls will be carrying their own rifles in years to come because as long as Israel keeps stealing land they will never have peace.

5 ) Carol Scheller / Switzerland

27/08/2012 18:51

Actually, the razed land of Jabal Abu Ghneim is now the colony called Har Homa.

6 ) Julie / USA

27/08/2012 19:53

oh look, the world's number one zionazi thug is saying he refuses to comply with international law, instead he emphatically insists on committing crimes...and the world lets him, otherwise he wouldn't be able to. the world has failed all of humanity miserably just as much, if not more so, than the evil of zionism itself.

7 ) mohamed / somalia

27/08/2012 21:24

and he is talking peace while he is stealing palestinian land.

8 ) Nadia / UK

27/08/2012 21:54

I agree with #2 Jonno, we like it or not, Facts are facts, : Efrat and Gush Etzion are integral parts of greater Jerusalem," Those are not lies from Mr. Milikovski they are facts on the ground.

9 ) gabi / australia

28/08/2012 03:04

#8 Nadia - and this is why there will never be any two-state solution. Israel is forever cresting more "facts on the ground" so that soon there will be no ground left to form a Palestinian state..

10 ) shirley / australia

28/08/2012 03:34

like it or not they are not parts of grater Isreal any more than Golan Heights or all 48 territories these were taken by force illegal under international law since 1948and the US and Eurpe are fully to balme for allowing Isreal to get away with it jews are theives and NAZI and all those who live in another country are just as complicit as they support and lie and send money to help this genocideeven google owner sends moneyfor illegal settlements

11 ) Jafar M. Ramini / UK

28/08/2012 14:07

Now tell us, the Palestinians, the world at large and your subservient supporters in the USA Congress, tell us who is the obstacle to peace?
Peace and Zionism are not compatible. Zionism is racism apartheid, theft, conquest and destruction all put together.

12 ) ian / australia

28/08/2012 15:02

#2, #8 "...they are facts on the ground." Yes, illegal facts on the ground. This should be settled by the courts. Everything beyond the Green Line is a straightforward case of theft. The idea of negotiating how much stolen property the thief should return is ridiculous. If UN non-member observer state status brings Palestinians closer to their day in court then it's a good reason to pursue it.

13 ) Rami / Palestine

29/08/2012 09:57

Can we just go around and claim any areas we want and say that they "will always be a part of Palestine" too? You know what? I like Haifa. That's a nice city. We'll take that....and Acre, and I think I'll take Galilee, Nazareth, Yaffa....and ooh, how about Tel Aviv? There's some nice beaches there. So we'll take that...oh and Ben Gurion Airport. I'm tired of going to Jordan. I hereby rename it Sheikh Ahmad Yassein International Airport.

14 ) Joe Fattal / USA

29/08/2012 23:40

Palestinians can go around and claim any city belong to them. But do they have the weapons to defend it and claim it as theirs. No they don't. And if the US is allowing Israel to keep that land and the oppression they bring to the people in Gaza or the West Bank they are much accomplice for all of it. Iran is the answer, and Iran knows best, and Iran will settle the score and I am waiting when Israel going to make the first move.

15 ) ian / australia

29/08/2012 23:43

#13 "I hereby rename it Sheikh Ahmad Yassein International Airport." Has a nice ring to it Rami. I've always thought the Sheikh Ahmad Yassin highway would be a good name for the highway which will link the two halves of Palestine one day insha'Allah.

16 ) Yehuda Solomon / Israel

30/08/2012 04:03

What our PM says is 100% true not only about these Bethlehem-area settlements but ALL of our (at least "legal,"--so far) settlements in Greater Israel. Again, are we to blame for the failure of so-called "peace" negotiations because of our refusal to stop settlement-building ??? ... Yes, we are. Are we guilty, because we're constantly creating (as 2), Jonno/France, says) "facts" on the ground of killing the "peace" process ??? ... Yes, we are ... and we're going to continue to do it.

17 ) Yehuda Solomon / Israel

30/08/2012 04:04

@ 9) gabi/australia, Your're absolutely right. There will never be a (second) Palestinian nation west of that Jordan River. (BTW, I sent a response to your earlier excellent question: "Define "Israelite"--Does the term include non-Semitic Jews from Europe ?" but I didn't see it posted. The answer is: ALL Jews are actually Israelites when you get right down to business and ALL Jews are semitic (as are ALL Arabs). The terms "semite" or "semitic" would be accurately applied to all (cont.)

18 ) Yehuda Solomon / Israel

30/08/2012 04:05

peoples who descend from Shem (Noah's eldest son), where they are derived from. The term "anti-semtic," however, has historically developed to mean anti-Jewish (NOT necessarily synonymous with anti-Israel/Zionist.) @ 12) ian/australia, The courts (World Court/Int'l Court of Justice) have already ruled our annexations/settlements are illegal so what more rulings do you WANT ??? We're not returning a damn thing so all these court rulings we consider useless and moot.

19 ) Ilsa / Sweden

03/09/2012 17:02

Noah, o yes that guy who built this huge ark where he contained ALL the animals of the world in pairs and survived a massive flood that covered our planet ? Yes, he knew about boat technology. Imagine having to do that today....;)

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